Results of usaf-nasa-faa flight program to study community responses to sonic booms in the greater st. louis area
Individual and community responses to sonic booms created by supersonic aircraft flight over large populated area
SUPERSONIC FLIGHT↗
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Results for “NASA Program Flight”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Workshop on Real-Time Programming for NASA Flight Project
The role of high-level languages in the preparation of real time flight software is discussed.
Knight, J. C.↗
Maturation of bone and dentin matrices in rats flown on the Soviet biosatellite Cosmos 1887
We have studied the chemistry, hydroxyapatite crystal size, and maturational changes in bone and dentin from rats exposed to microgravity for 12 days in a Soviet biosatellite (Cosmos 1887). Bone ash was reduced in vertebrae (L5) but not in the non-weight-bearing calvaria or mandibles. All tissues had a relatively normal percentage composition of Ca, P, and Mg. Nevertheless, flight rat calvaria and vertebral tissues tended to exhibit lower Ca/P and higher Ca/Mg ratios that any of their weight-matched controls groups, and gradient density analysis (calvaria) indicated a strong shift to the fractions lower specific gravity that was commensurate with impaired rates of matrix-mineral maturation. X-ray diffraction data were confirmatory. Bone hydroxyapatite crystal growth in the mandibles of flight rats was preferentially altered in such a way as to reduce their size (C-axis dimension). But in the mandibular diastemal region devoid of muscle attachments, flight rat bone and dentin were normal with respect to the Ca, P, Mg, and Zn concentrations and Ca/P and Ca/Mg ratios of age-matched controls. These observations affirm the concept that while microgravity most adversely affects the maturation of newly formed matrix and mineral moieties in weight-bearing bone, such effects occur throughout the skeleton.
NASA Experiment Number COS 1887-33↗
NASA Flight Experiments Program
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Flight Experiment↗
Effects of hypergravity on immunologic function
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of hypergravity exposure (2g) with those of exposure to space flight in the Cosmos 2044 flight. To do so, rats were centrifuged continuously for 14 days. Two different experiments were carried out on tissue obtained from the centrifuged rats. In the first experiment, rat bone marrow cells were examined for their response to recombinant murine colony stimulating factor-granulocyte/monocyte (GM-CSF). In the second experiment, rat spleen and bone marrow cells were stained in with a variety of antibodies directed against cell surface antigenic markers. These cells were preserved and analyzed on a flow cytometer. The results of the studies indicated that bone marrow cells from centrifuged rats showed no significant change in response to GM-CSF as compared to bone marrow cells from control rats. Spleen cells from flown rats showed some statistically significant changes in leukocytes subset distribution, but no differences that appeared to be of biological significance. These results indicate that hypergravity did not greatly affect the same immunological parameters affected by space flight in the Cosmos 2044 mission.
NASA Program Flight↗
Cardiovascular function in space flight
Changes in orthostatic heart rate have been noted universally in Soviet and U.S. crewmembers post space flight. The magnitude of these changes appears to be influenced by mission duration, with increasing orthostatic intolerance for the first 7-10 days of flight and then a partial recovery in the orthostatic heart rate response. Fluid loading has been used as a countermeasure to this postflight orthostatic intolerance. Previous reports have documented the effectiveness of this technique, but it has also been noted that the effectiveness of volume expansion diminishes as flight duration exceeds one week. The response of carotid baroreceptor function was investigated utilizing a commercially available neck collar which could apply positive and negative pressure to effect receptor stimulation. Bedrest studies had validated the usefulness and validity of the device. In these studies it was shown that carotid baroreceptor function curves demonstrated less responsiveness to orthostatic stimulation than control individuals. Twelve Space Shuttle crewmembers were examined pre- and postflight from flights lasting from 4-5 days. Plots of baroreceptor function were constructed and plotted as change in R-R interval vs. carotid distending pressure (an orthostatic stimulus). Typical sigmoidal curves were obtained. Postflight the resting heart rate was higher (smaller R-R interval) and the range of R-R value and the slope of the carotid sigmoidal response were both depressed. These changes were not significant immediately postflight (L + O), but did become significant by the second day postflight (L + 2), and remained suppressed for several days thereafter. It is hypothesized that the early adaptation to space flight involves a central fluid shift during the initial days of flight, but subsequent alterations in neural controlling mechanisms (such as carotid baroreceptor function) contribute to orthostatic intolerance.
Review↗
Modulation of vergence by off-vertical yaw axis rotation in the monkey: normal characteristics and effects of space flight
Horizontal movements of both eyes were recorded simultaneously using scleral search coils in 2 rhesus monkeys before and after the COSMOS 2229 space-flight of 1992-1993. Another 9 monkeys were tested at comparable time intervals and served as controls. Ocular vergence, defined as the difference in horizontal position between the left and right eyes, was measured during off-vertical yaw axis rotation (OVAR) in darkness. Vergence was modulated sinusoidally as a function of head position with regard to gravity during OVAR. The amplitude of peak-to-peak modulation increased with increments in tilt of the angle of the rotational axis (OVAR tilt angle) that ranged from 15 degrees to 90 degrees. Of the 11 monkeys tested, 1 had no measurable modulation in vergence. In the other 10, the mean amplitude of the peak to peak modulation was 5.5 degrees +/- 1.3 degrees at 90 degrees tilt. Each of these monkeys had maximal vergence when its nose was pointed close to upward (gravity back; mean phase: -0.9 degree +/- 26 degrees). After space flight, the modulation in vergence was reduced by over 50% for the two flight monkeys, but the phase of vergence modulation was not altered. The reduction in vergence modulation was sustained for the 11-day postflight testing period. We conclude that changes in vergence are induced in monkeys by the sinusoidal component of gravity acting along the naso-occipital axis during yaw axis OVAR, and that the modulation of the vergence reflex is significantly less sensitive to linear acceleration after space flight.
Flight Experiment↗
Clinical aspects of the control of plasma volume at microgravity and during return to one gravity
Plasma volume is reduced by 10-20% within 24-48 h of exposure to simulated or actual microgravity. The clinical importance of microgravity induced hypovolemia is manifested by its relationship with orthostatic intolerance and reduced maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) after return to one gravity (1G). Since there is no evidence to suggest that plasma volume reduction during microgravity is associated with thirst or renal dysfunctions, a diuresis induced by an immediate blood volume shift to the central circulation appears responsible for microgravity-induced hypovolemia. Since most astronauts choose to restrict their fluid intake before a space mission, absence of increased urine output during actual space flight may be explained by low central venous pressure (CVP) which accompanies dehydration. Compelling evidence suggests that prolonged reduction in CVP during exposure to microgravity reflects a "resetting" to a lower operating point, which acts to limit plasma volume expansion during attempts to increase fluid intake. In ground based and space flight experiments, successful restoration and maintenance of plasma volume prior to returning to an upright posture may depend upon development of treatments that can return CVP to its baseline IG operating point. Fluid-loading and lower body negative pressure (LBNP) have not proved completely effective in restoring plasma volume, suggesting that they may not provide the stimulus to elevate the CVP operating point. On the other hand, exercise, which can chronically increase CVP, has been effective in expanding plasma volume when combined with adequate dietary intake of fluid and electrolytes. The success of designing experiments to understand the physiological mechanisms of and development of effective counter measures for the control of plasma volume in microgravity and during return to IG will depend upon testing that can be conducted under standardized controlled baseline conditions during both ground-based and space flight investigations.
Review, Tutorial↗
Lessons from operational cardiovascular studies in space
The Space Shuttle program has produced a database of information on the cardiovascular responses to spaceflight, based on in-flight as well as pre- and post-flight assessments undertaken as part of the assessment of the health, safety, and efficiency of Shuttle crews. The methods used in routine cardiovascular assessments of Space Shuttle astronauts are reviewed, and the major findings of these investigations are presented.
NASA Program Data Analysis↗
Cosmos 1887: morphology, histochemistry, and vasculature of the growing rat tibia
Light microscopy, electron microscopy, and enzyme histochemistry were used to study the effects of spaceflight on metaphyseal and cortical bone of the rat tibia. Cortical cross-sectional area and perimeter were not altered by a 12.5-day spaceflight in 3-month-old male rats. The endosteal osteoblast population and the vasculature near the periosteal surface in flight rats compared with ground controls showed more pronounced changes in cortical bone than in metaphyseal bone. The osteoblasts demonstrated greater numbers of transitional Golgi vesicles, possibly caused by a decreased cellular metabolic energy source, but no difference in the large Golgi saccules or the cell membrane-associated alkaline phosphatase activity. The periosteal vasculature in the diaphysis of flight rats often showed lipid accumulations within the lumen of the vessels, occasional degeneration of the vascular wall, and degeneration of osteocytes adjacent to vessels containing intraluminal deposits. These changes were not found in the metaphyseal region of flight animals. The focal vascular changes may be due to ischemia of bone or a developing fragility of the vessel walls as a result of spaceflight.
Non-NASA Center↗
Enhanced root production in Haplopappus gracilis grown under spaceflight conditions
The production and growth of roots in two aseptically maintained clonal populations of Haplopappus gracilis (family Compositae), each with a distinctive pattern of root production, were studied after they had been exposed to space for 5 days aboard a NASA Space Shuttle. Total root production of both populations was 67-95% greater when compared with their Earth-grown controls. Roots were generated: (1) laterally from pre-formed roots, the tips of which had been severed at the time of plantlet insertion into a "horticultural foam" substrate supplied with a nutrient solution; (2) adventitiously from the basal or cut-end portion of shoots; (3) de novo, i.e. from primordial which were non-existent at the outset of the experiment. Roots grew in all directions in space but were uniformly positively gravitropic in ground controls. In space and on Earth, both clonal populations maintained their clone-specific root formation and growth characteristics and produced an equivalent amount of tissue when compared to each other. As on Earth, and as expected, there were fewer and shorter roots on plantlets that formed floral buds. The significance of altered moisture distribution in the "horticultural foam" substrate in space for root growth and the significance of our findings for growing plants in altered gravity environments are discussed.
Flight Experiment↗
Activation and proliferation of lymphocytes and other mammalian cells in microgravity
The experimental findings reviewed in this chapter support the following conclusions: Proliferation. Human T-lymphocytes, associated with monocytes as accessory cells, show dramatic changes in the centrifuge, in the clinostat and in space. In free-floating cells the mitogenic response is depressed by 90% in microgravity, whereas in cells attached to a substratum activation is enhanced by 100% compared to 1-G ground and inflight controls. The duration of phase G1 of the mitotic cycle of HeLa cells is reduced in hypergravity, resulting in an increased proliferation rate. Other systems like Friend cells and WI38 human embryonic lung cells do not show significant changes. Genetic expression and signal transduction. T-lymphocytes and monocytes show important changes in the expression of cytokines like interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor. The data from space experiments in Spacelab, Space Shuttle mid-deck, and Biokosmos have helped to clarify certain aspects of the mechanism of T-cell activation. Epidermoid A431 cells show changes in the genetic expression of the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun in the clinostat and in sounding rockets. Membrane function, in particular the binding of ligates as first messengers of a signal, is not changed in most of the cell systems in microgravity. Morphology and Mortility. Free cells, lymphocytes in particular, are able to move and form aggregates in microgravity, indicating that cell-cell contacts and cell communications do take place in microgravity. Dramatic morphological and ultrastructural changes are not detected in cells cultured in microgravity. Important experiments with single mammalian cells, including immune cells, were carried out recently in three Spacelab flights, (SL-J, D-2, and IML-2 in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively). The results of the D-2 mission have been published in ref. 75; those of the IML-2 mission in ref. 76. Finally, many cell biology experiments in space have suffered in the past from a lack of adequate controls (like 1-G centrifuges) and of proper experimental conditions (like well-controlled temperature). In this respect the availability of Biorack, outfitted with proper incubators with 1-G control centrifuge as well as a glovebox with a microscope, is a great advantage. It is also desirable that cell biology experiments in space are accompanied or even preceded by a program of ground-based investigations in the fast rotating clinostat and in the centrifuge, and that preparatory experiments be done in parabolic flights and sounding rockets, whenever possible. Proper publication of the results of space experiments is another important need. A great number of data have been published in proceedings and reports that are not available to the broad scientific community. To guarantee the credibility and the international recognition of space biology it is important that the results be published in international, peer reviewed journals.
manned↗
Measurement of differential proton spectra onboard the Space Shuttle using a thermoluminescent dosimetry system
An experimental technique that permits the extraction of orbit-averaged, differential energy spectra of trapped radiation belt protons using simple passive detectors is described. An inversion technique is used for the data analysis. The basic principle of the described system is measurement of the energy deposited in six thermoluminescent (TLD) detector assemblies behind various spherical absorbers. The technique has been applied to a detector assembly flown on four Shuttle flights. Although severe restraints were placed on the flight package, the differential energy spectra derived from these measurements are in good agreement with analytical results using a modified trapped proton environment model. The technique shows good promise for measuring the spectra in low inclination orbits where the flux of high energy galactic cosmic rays protons is small. Modifications to the detector assembly to improve the accuracy and to extend the range of the system to higher energies are suggested.
STS-51J Shuttle Project↗
Effects of microgravity on osteoblast growth activation
Space flight is an environmental condition where astronauts can lose up to 19% of weight-bearing bone during long duration missions. We used the MC3T3-E1 osteoblast to investigate bone cell growth in microgravity (10(-6) to 10(-9)g). Osteoblasts were launched on the STS-56 shuttle flight in a quiescent state with 0.5% fetal calf serum (FCS) medium and growth activation was initiated by adding fresh medium with 10% FCS during microgravity exposure. Four days after serum activation, the cells were fixed before return to normal Earth gravity. Ground controls were treated in parallel with the flight samples in identical equipment. On landing, cell number, cell cytoskeleton, glucose utilization, and prostaglandin synthesis in flight (n = 4) and ground controls (n = 4) were examined. The flown osteoblasts grew slowly in microgravity with total cell number significantly reduced (55 +/- 6 vs 141 +/- 8 cells per microscopic field). The cytoskeleton of the flight osteoblasts had a reduced number of stress fibers and a unique abnormal morphology. Nuclei in the ground controls were large and round with punctate Hoechst staining of the DNA nucleosomes. The flight nuclei were 30% smaller than the controls (P < 0.0001) and oblong in shape, with fewer punctate areas. Due to their reduced numbers, the cells activated in microgravity used significantly less glucose than ground controls (80.2 +/- 0.7 vs 50.3 +/- 3.7 mg of glucose/dl remaining in the medium) and had reduced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis when compared to controls (57.3 +/- 17 vs 138.3 +/- 41 pmol/ml). Cell viability was normal since, on a per-cell basis, glucose use and prostaglandin synthesis were comparable for flight and ground samples. Taken together, these data suggest that growth activation in microgravity results in reduced growth, causing reduced glucose utilization and reduced prostaglandin synthesis, with significantly altered actin cytoskeleton in osteoblasts.
NASA Program Flight↗
Antiorthostatic suspension as a model for the effects of spaceflight on the immune system
We describe the use and appropriateness of antiorthostatic suspension in immunological investigations. This manuscript describes the model and discusses how well data obtained by using the model correlate with spaceflight data. This review concludes with some suggestions for future experiments using antiorthostatic suspension.
short duration↗
Crane Cell Testing Support of Goddard Space Flight Center
The objective of this section is to verify the quality and reliability of aerospace battery cells and batteries for NASA flight programs and to design the battery/cell for upcoming NASA spacecraft.
Hall, Steve↗
Radiobiological studies with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetic and developmental effects of high LET radiation
The biological effects of heavy charged particle (HZE) radiation are of particular interest to travellers and planners for long-duration space flights where exposure levels represent a potential health hazard. The unique feature of HZE radiation is the structured pattern of its energy deposition in targets. There are many consequences of this feature to biological endpoints when compared with effects of ionizing photons. Dose vs response and dose-rate kinetics may be modified, DNA and cellular repair systems may be altered in their abilities to cope with damage, and the qualitative features of damage may be unique for different ions. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is being used to address these and related questions associated with exposure to radiation. HZE-induced mutation, chromosome aberration, cell inactivation and altered organogenesis are discussed along with plans for radiobiological experiments in space.
short duration↗
Cosmic ray particles with different LET values under various thicknesses of shielding in low altitude orbits: calculations and Cosmos-2044 measurements
Fluxes of cosmic ray particles with different LET values were measured on board the Cosmos-2044 biosatellite under various thicknesses of shielding by stacks of CR-39 and nitrocellulose plastic nuclear track detectors (mounted outside the satellite). The component composition of the particles detected under shieldings of 0.1-2.5 g cm-2 is verified by comparing experimental data with the results of model simulations of the fluxes of galactic cosmic ray particles and of radiation belt protons.
NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗